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Saturday, March 26, 2011

Branding is very important when it comes to defining yourself as a photographer-actually, in any business. Finding the right color combination, the perfect logo, the right packaging-these are all an important part of branding.

What about your bio? Sure, we all have an 'about me' page with a photo of us beaming with our camera in hand. It's all good. Or is it? Have you thought about using a promotional video?

Promotional videos seem to be popping up on photographer's sites and I absolutely love it! If you read Jasmine Star's awesome blog/site, or Scarlett Lillian's very cool site, both use promotional videos to let potential clients get to know them even before they meet them.

Screen shot of Scarlett's blog.

Screen shot of Jasmine's blog.

Visit their sites and you'll want them to be your photographer. They make them look fun and easy to be around. They appear to be a sought after photographer. You find yourself drawn to meet them. Wouldn't you want clients to feel that way about you?

Here is a sample of a promotional video. Not one of my favorites, I like Scarlett and Jasmine's videos better, but you get the idea.

Now, I know what you are thinking. These photographers ARE sought after and well-known. It would be silly for little 'ole you to do one of these. I disagree with a capital D-I-S. You are just as important and cool as Jasmine-even if you weren't asked to photograph the royal couple's wedding. So, let's get onto the key factors of planning your own video and how fun it can be to put together.

Plan Ahead.

You need to have a vision before starting. Think about what you want to come across to your clients. Pick the perfect location, outfit, and maybe what you specialize in. Like Jasmine and Scarlett's videos show them shooting weddings, you could do a session with a child.

Simple & Short.

People are distracted easily by shiny objects. Their attention span is short, so your video only needs to be 2-3 mins long. Don't worry, you can get a lot across in a short amount of time.

Music is a Must.

What music you choose will make or break your video. Pick the type of music that you want to show what personality you have. Soft music will imply a laid back photographer, etc. Try Triple Scoop Music for free music!

Hire Someone.

Shooting a promotional video is not as elaborate as shooting a commercial, so the cost is not as bad. If you don't have anyone to shoot your video, call around to different videographers to find out prices. Otherwise, here are some tutorials on video editing.

Live or Slide Show?

If you can't afford a videographer, or you are just too shy to shoot a video, you can still put together a promotional montage just using photos of you during a shoot, or photos of you at your favorite spot. You can set it to music and adding words or sentences describing your personality. Or, add your voice to it, talking about your likes and dislikes in a fun way.You can even use Windows Movie Maker on your computer to put it all together.